Russian lawmakers exempt officials from income reporting

Russian lawmakers have passed a bill exempting public officials from annual income reporting. This change significantly alters transparency requirements for government employees. The legislation, approved in its third reading, allows officials in state and municipal service, as well as state corporations, to submit income declarations only in specific circumstances, ending a requirement in place since 2009. This move follows a presidential decree in December 2022 that already allowed some officials and military personnel to skip income reporting, citing circumstances like sanctions.